Quiz: The (Almost) Impossible Knowledge Quiz! : HowStuffWorks

The (Almost) Impossible Knowledge Quiz!

EDUCATION

By: Jonnathan Chadwick

6 Min Quiz

Image: Yuri_Arcurs / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

There are too many branches of knowledge to list them all, and knowledge comes in all shapes and forms. A doctor might be knowledgeable at neurosurgery, and a farmer might be knowledgeable at weather patterns. A chimpanzee might know the most efficient way to peel a banana, and an engineer might know the most efficient way to build a bridge.

There are just so many things to learn that it's impossible to learn them all. Very few people learn the square root of 289, the capital of Australia, the location of the North Star, the deepest location on Earth and the weight of Manhattan all at the same time. Very few people learn such a wide variety of knowledge at different times. And that's why it's impossible to know everything.

Luckily for you, this quiz is only almost impossible. If you dig deep and try to remember everything you've ever learned in this history of your learning, you might be able to get every question correct on this quiz. You'll have to channel your social studies classes from years ago and combine them with the common sense street smarts you learn today to get these questions right, but it can be done. Do you think you can do it? Put your skills to the test and try to answer these nearly impossible knowledge questions.

How much is one pound of one-dollar bills worth?

$454

$1,000

$276

$785

The exact specifications of American currency are kept a tight secret, but we do know all bills ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100) weigh exactly one gram. There are about 454 grams in one pound, so a pound of dollar bills is worth $454.

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Everyone is afraid of something. What is the fear of being without your mobile phone called?

Anemophobia

Nomophobia

Spectrophobia

Linonophobia

The world is filled with weird phobias, and in the 21st century, the fear of being without one's mobile phone is a genuine fear. Nomophobia is also the fear of being out of reach of mobile phone service.

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How much does the average cloud weigh?

1 million pounds

100 pounds

1,000 pounds

10 pounds

Scientists have done all the math and calculations and concluded that the average cumulus cloud weighs more than 1 million pounds. The clouds are filled with different states of water, and giant thunder clouds can be up to 15 miles long.

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Who was the sixth President of the United States?

John Quincy Adams

James Monroe

Andrew Jackson

John Adams

John Quincy Adams served one term as President of the United States and lost re-election to Andrew Jackson, who served two terms as the seventh President of the United States. Adams was the eldest son of John Adams, who was the second POTUS.

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The world revolves around money. Which of these words is another word for cash?

Oscar

Jake

Kelvin

Pablo

The word "oscar" is most commonly known as the nickname for the Academy Awards statue, but it is also the military code word for the letter "o" when using the NATO phonetic alphabet. There are a few definitions for the word oscar, and one of them is "cash."

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There are thousands of airports in the world. Which of the following airports has a golf course, casino and museum?

Beijing Capital International Airport

Incheon International Airport

Tokyo International Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Some airports in the world are so glamorous that they are destinations in themselves, and Incheon International Airport is one of those airports. Aside from all the amenities, the airport boasts the speediest departure and arrival times in the world.

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Humans have been at war with one another for more than 90% of recorded history. What battle is Joan of Arc known for?

Battle of Waterloo

Siege of Orleans

Battle of Antietam

Siege of Yorktown

Joan of Arc is a canonized saint who is best known for her involvement in the Hundred Years' War and the Siege of Orleans in particular. Orleans was under siege for half a year, but it ended just nine days after Joan of Arc arrived, giving rise to her legacy.

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Complete the number sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ____, 89

73

62

55

47

Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician so influential that he is known by just one name. The Fibonacci sequence is probably the most important number sequence in the world and is used everywhere. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers.

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The Earth is covered with mountains, oceans, continents and more. How much does the planet weigh?

13.1 septillion pounds

10 million tons

100 billion pounds

50 zillion pounds

No scale on Earth can weigh the Earth, but scientists used math to calculate gravity, mass and volume to conclude that Earth weighs 13.1 septillion pounds, which is 13 followed by 24 digits.

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What is a sodalist?

A member of an association

A list of sodas

A person who is a soda snob

Someone who supports soda economics

A sodalist is a member of a sodality, which is a community, brotherhood or association. The word stems from the 17th century "sodalite," which was used to define a comrade, and anyone from police officers to school children can form a sodality.

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There have been 45 presidencies in the United States. How many presidents have there been?

37

42

44

45

There have been 44 presidents sworn into office and 45 presidencies. Grover Cleveland won non-consecutive terms, serving as the 22nd and 24th Presidents of the United States. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the only person to serve more than two terms as President.

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What song was the first Beatles song to reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart?

"Please Please Me"

"Strawberry Fields"

"Yesterday"

"From Me to You"

The band's first song to top the UK Singles Chart was "Please Please Me," but the song only reached No. 2 on the official charts. "From Me to You," which was released on the 1964 album "Twist and Shout," was the first song to reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

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Match the opening line to its famous novel: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... "

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

"Great Expectations"

"The Great Gatsby"

"A Tale of Two Cities"

Charles Dickens was one of the greatest literary minds the world has ever seen, and aside from creating memorable characters and tackling the most complex of human issues, he wrote one of the most memorable opening lines ever in his novel, "A Tale of Two Cities."

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In what movie does character Travis Bickle deliver the famous movie line, "You talking to me?"

"Star Wars"

"Taxi Driver"

"The Godfather"

"Dirty Harry"

This 1976 film has become a classic and the memorable line uttered by Robert De Niro was actually improvised by the actor. The script just instructed him to talk to himself in the mirror. The "you talking to me" line is one of cinema's most famous.

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Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest golfer to ever play the game. What is his real name?

Anthony

Eldrick

James

Michael

The world knows him by Tiger, but his real name is Eldrick. Tiger's father gave him his nickname because it was the nickname of one of his army buddies. Tiger went pro in 1996 and has won 15 PGA major championships since.

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With all its people, pets, buildings and cars, how much does Manhattan weigh?

1 million pounds

125 million tons

500 billion tons

25 billion pounds

If you add the 350,000 tons of people, 2,600 tons of pets, 120,000 tons of food, 2 million tons of vehicles, 4 million tons of road and sidewalk, 118 million tons of buildings and 300 tons of random stuff, Manhattan weighs about 125 million tons.

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Something that is xanthic is what color?

Reddish

Yellowish

Greenish

Blueish

Something that is xanthic is yellowish in color. The word stems from the Greek "xanthos," which means "yellow." The word is rarely used in modern language but can be added to your vocabulary to describe anything that could be yellow.

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The U.S. Constitution was influenced by the Magna Carta, which was signed by what King of England?

King Edward of England

King Phillip of England

King John of England

King James of England

The Magna Carta has served as a blueprint for almost every major charter of rights in the world. It was drafted in the 13th century and signed by King James of England in 1215 in an attempt to restore peace with rebels.

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The "27 Club" is a list of musicians who died at age 27. Which of these rock stars is not a member of the 27 Club?

Jimi Hendrix

Bob Marley

Kurt Cobain

Janis Joplin

Bob Marley died of skin cancer at age 36 while he was in Miami and is not a member of the 27 Club. He's considered one of the greatest musical artists of all time and helped introduce reggae music to the mainstream world.

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Match the opening line to the novel: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

"1984"

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

"Don Quixote"

"The Great Gatsby"

Anyone who has read a novel knows the importance of the story's first line. A good first line can make or break your book, and this opening line is one of the best. George Orwell's novel about government surveillance is more relevant today than ever before.

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Match the famous movie quote to the movie: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

"The Godfather"

"Star Wars"

"Chinatown"

"Dirty Harry"

"The Godfather" is widely considered to be one of the best movies of all time, and its sequel is considered one of the only sequels actually to be as good as the original. The "keep your friends close" quote was voted one of the top 100 movie quotes in cinema history by the American Film Institute.

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What is the capital of Australia?

Sydney

Canberra

Melbourne

Perth

Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are all major Australian cities, but none of them are the capital. The capital, Canberra, sits between Syndey and Melbourne because officials couldn't decide whether to designate Sydney or Melbourne as the capital.

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If Humpty Dumpty is a numpty, what is Humpty Dumpty?

Small

Round

Stupid

Genius

A numpty is another word for a dumb person. It is not a compliment and is a pretty offensive thing to call someone. Humpty Dumpty is not considered a numpty in the story. He is an egg sitting on a wall.

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What Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to vote regardless of race?

15th

13th

7th

21st

There have been 33 proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and 27 have been ratified. The 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870 at the end of Reconstruction, and it guarantees men the right to vote regardless of race, color or previous servitude.

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"The Simpsons" is the longest-running scripted show in American TV history. Who created it?

Matt Groening

Aaron Sorkin

Larry David

David Simon

"The Simpsons" debuted in 1989 and today is the longest-running scripted show in American television history. It was created by Matt Groening and the characters are based on members of his family. He is represented in the show by the character of Bart.

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Match the opening line to the novel: "It was love at first sight."

"The Great Gatsby"

"Catch-22"

"Lolita"

"Hamlet"

This classic satire by Joseph Heller was published in 1961 and was so successful it was adapted into a movie and introduced the world to the phrase "catch 22," which defines a trap that constrains by employing contradictory rules.

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Match the famous movie quote to the movie: “You can't handle the truth!”

"Titanic"

"Gone with the Wind"

"A Few Good Men"

"Dirty Harry"

"A Few Good Men" is one of the best military movies ever made, and this quote delivered from Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise is one of the most memorable quotes in movie history. The film was released in 1992 and was nominated for four Academy Awards.

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What country is home to the tallest indoor waterfall in the world?

Singapore

America

India

Russia

Another one of the coolest airports in the world is located in Asia. Singapore's Changi airport is so big that people visit its shopping center even if they don't have a flight. The airport is also home to the tallest indoor waterfall in the world.

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More than 70% of Earth is covered by water. How many gallons of water are in the Pacific Ocean?

1 billion gallons

100 trillion gallons

187 quintillion gallons

50 million gallons

Five major oceans cover the planet, and the Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of them all. It holds a total of 187 quintillion gallons, which is 187 followed by 18 zeros. The deepest part of the ocean is in the Mariana Trench and reaches close to seven miles deep.

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If you tell your boss a trumped-up story about why you missed work, what kind of story did you tell?

A dangerous story

An exciting story

A false story

A boring story

A trumped-up story is a false or fraudulent story. The word has been in use since the early 1700s and has always meant false or fabricated. If you trump-up a story to tell your boss, you have to fabricate a story.

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Match the American Founding Father to the famous quote: "Give me liberty, or give me death!"

Andrew Jackson

Alexander Hamilton

Thomas Jefferson

Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was a governor of Virginia, and he's best known for saying "Give me liberty, or give me death" when trying to convince others to fight in the Revolutionary War. Legend has it everyone sat in silence for several minutes after Henry delivered the line.

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Match the opening line to the famous novel: "It was a pleasure to burn."

"The Catcher in the Rye"

"Moby Dick"

"Fahrenheit 451"

"The Great Gatsby"

The dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury follows the story of "firemen" who burn books in a society where books are illegal. The book was published in 1953 and today is considered a classic story about censorship and information control.

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Which of the following was not an author of the Federalist Papers?

James Madison

John Jay

Thomas Jefferson

Alexander Hamilton

The Federalist Papers is made up of 85 articles and essays that argue for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, and they were first published in 1787.

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A group of corrupt businesses, banks and politicians is called a what?

Plunderbund

Snafu

Coprolalia

Selkie

A plunderbund is a noun that defines a group of corrupt entities that work to exploit the public. The word was created in the early 20th century, and it stems from "bund," which defines an association, and "plunder," which means to steal.

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Someone who suffers from didaskaleinophobia is afraid of what?

Eating apples

Watching TV

Attending school

Heights

Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school, and it affects up to 5% of children who need to go to school. The word stems from the Greek "didasko," which means "to teach." Kids afraid of attending school aren't afraid of learning and can be home-schooled.

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